The rapid and accurate detection of fuel leaks from fuel-containing vessels is important for a variety of applications, including energy, transportation, and aerospace applications. Unfortunately, many existing systems and methods for detecting fuel leaks suffer from one or more limitations. For example, some systems and methods may not reveal small or early-stage leaks, and instead may only detect and/or locate a leak after a relatively large amount of fuel has leaked. Additionally, some prior systems and methods for detecting fuel leaks cannot easily detect leaks in remote, confined, or otherwise hard to access spaces. Further, some previous systems and methods that rely on luminescence use fluorophores that have a limited useful lifespan and/or fail under certain operating conditions. In some cases, for instance, the fluorophores degrade into non-luminescent components or otherwise lose their luminescence upon exposure to oxygen, moisture, high temperature (such as a temperature greater than 80° C. or greater than 100° C.), or a combination thereof, thereby destroying the ability of the fluorophores to identify a leak. Prolonged exposure to fuel (such as exposure for more than 12 hours, more than 24 hours, or more than 1 week) can also cause some existing fluorophores to lose some or all of their luminescence. Additionally, some fluorescent organic molecule fluorophores are colored and/or exhibit some amount of reflectance at their fluorescence or other detection-related wavelengths. These optical properties can lead to poor imaging contrast, reduced signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs), or both.
Therefore, there exists a need for systems and methods for detecting fuel leaks that can detect an early-stage and/or small fuel leak; that permit detection of a fuel leak in remote, confined, or otherwise hard to access spaces; that have improved operability when exposed to high temperatures, fuel, oxygen, and/or moisture; and that provide improved imaging contrast and/or SNR.